


What Could Have Been, and What Will Be

by arihime



Series: Twin AU [14]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Chrom Realizing He Was Oblivious, F/M, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2018-05-05 19:37:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5387762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arihime/pseuds/arihime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two years after Grima’s defeat, Narcissus is finally reunited with his family, and looking forward to the future. However, there are things from the past that must be acknowledged first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Could Have Been, and What Will Be

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt “They take after you.”
> 
> This probably isn’t what most people expected for this prompt, but it’s what my muse told me to write, so I did. Plus it’s a conversation these characters needed to have at some point. I just hope I did it justice.

Narcissus is on the balcony watching Aislin and the children in the courtyard when Chrom appears at his shoulder. Without a word, he takes a place beside Narcissus and leans against the railings, taking in the scene below.

Aislin is seated on a bench among the flowers, one hand resting on her large belly. She’s seven months pregnant with twins, and much bigger than Narcissus has ever seen her. It had taken both Lucina and Morgan’s help to even get to the courtyard in the first place, each holding her up as she waddled along. Lucina sits beside her mother now, in a lavender and gold dress that brings out the color of her eyes. She looks so different from the battle-hardened young woman Narcissus first meet all those years ago, much happier and joyful. There’s hardness in her expression though, a watchfulness that occasionally comes into her eyes whenever there is a noise. Habits that are hard to break, even in times of peace.

Morgan has none of his sister’s weariness. He runs around the courtyard, his dark cloak billowing behind him. He’s the same cheerful boy from before, but freer, less weighed down by the lack of his memories. It’s a feeling that Narcissus knows well, one that he’s glad that his nephew has been able to achieve.

By far though, the one who has changed the most is little Luci. When Narcissus left to defeat Grima, she was still a just baby, and now she runs after Morgan on chubby legs, shrieking gleefully every time she catches him. This is a happy child, who laughs when she falls and picks herself up immediately. A child who will never know the pain and suffering that hardened her older self. She will grow up in a world of peace, thanks to Narcissus.

Looking at his youngest niece now makes the two years he spent floating in nothingness worth it. Makes his sacrifice worth it, and the fear of not knowing if he would be able to return. He’d made peace with that fact to Aislin and the others, but privately to himself, Narcissus had been terrified. Even when he awake in the field, he’d been convinced that everything was a dream until he’d taken Chrom’s hand and saw that the cursed mark on his own was gone. Now he is free to live his life as he chooses, alongside those he loves, without having to fear being used as someone’s pawn.

It’s a good light feeling, and a glance at Chrom reveals an equally contented look on his face. 

“They take after you.” Narcissus comments idly, looking back at the children. And not just because of their coloring. During the war, Narcissus saw a lot of Chrom in his children, in the way they fought and handled the pressure of battle. They had some of Aislin’s easy grace as well, but their strength and style had all been Chrom. 

Now in peace, the resemblance is even more striking. Lucina’s smile, the amused twinkle in Morgan’s eyes, and even little Luci’s persistence all come from their father.

“That’s what everyone says.” Chrom replies, amused. “I think they act more like Aislin than me, but everyone seems to think the other way, including her. I’m hoping one of the new babies will have her hair, at least so we have another blonde in the family.”

Narcissus laughs. Aislin and Lissa are the only blondes left in the Exalted line. Even Lissa’s son has dark hair, the same as his father.

( _Sons,_ he corrects, since the Owain of this time had been born while he was away.)

“Do you think you’ll get Morgan again, along with someone else?” Narcissus asks.

“That’s what Morgan himself is hoping for. I just want healthy babies and an easy delivery for Aislin. They’ll be our children no matter who they are.”

“Have you decided on names? Maybe after your parents, since Aislin named the first two after ours?

“I’ve picked, but I’m not going to saddle my children with that kind of legacy. Besides, finding new names has been fun.”

“Do you want to tell the uncle to-be?” Narcissus tries.

Chrom laughs. “No. You’ll have to wait until they’re born to find out, just like everyone else.”

Narcissus has waited two years to see his family. Waiting two months to learn the names of the new additions is hardly anything. Still, he can’t help but be excited and anxious. He missed two years of little Luci’s life. He wants to be there for all of the new twins’.

He turns to tell Chrom this, only to find that the other man’s expression has turned serious.

“You know, as wonderful as the topic is, I didn’t come up here to discuss my children.” Chrom says.

“Then what did you want to talk about?”

“What happened during the battle against Grima.”

“Oh.” 

The kiss, he probably means. Narcissus flushes just thinking about it, and he has to fight not to bring a hand to his lips. 

He remembers every detail: the wind rushing in his ears, Grima’s shrieks of pain, and Chrom’s lips against his, reluctant at first before going suddenly soft. It had been a now or never sort of moment, one that Narcissus probably never would have attempted if he thought there was any chance of him coming back after defeating Grima. Still, he doesn’t regret it in the least bit. It had been the perfect kiss, and the perfect send off before he went to his death.

Hearing Chrom bring it up now though is enough to make Narcissus stammer. “I ah—I didn’t—”

“Aislin told me part of it.” Chrom says, looking as uncomfortable as Narcissus feels. “The rest I kind of. . . realized on my own, in hindsight. I’m not mad about the kiss, I just— Why didn’t you tell me about your feelings before?”

Narcissus blinks. Of all the ways he pictured this conversation going, that was not one of them. Honestly, he’s not really sure what he expected from Chrom. 

“Why didn’t I tell you I was in love with you, you mean?”

Chrom nods.

“For the same reason that Sumia, Cordelia, and Maribelle kept silent about their feelings. I guess I wanted you to notice them yourself.”

Chrom flinches, eyes widening in realization.

“I’m sorry about that. I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose, truly. I was just—”

“Oblivious?”

“Yes. That word has been used more than once.”

“By one of them, I hope.”

Chrom winces. “Them and others.”

It feel oddly good to see Chrom flounder under the weight of his own obliviousness. It’s only a fraction of the unease Narcissus and everyone else with unrequited feelings went through, but it’s rewarding nonetheless.

Still, there’s a real conversation that needs to be had here, one that Narcissus is avoiding. 

He sighs. “I guess by the time I worked up the courage to actually tell you, you had already fallen in love with Aislin, and she with you. And I wanted her to be happy, so I never said anything.”

“But at the expense of your own feelings?”

“It was for your sake too. I didn’t want to confuse you, in regards to Aislin. Besides, I wasn’t even sure—”

“If I was attracted to men?”

Narcissus nods, heart in his throat.

“I am.” Chrom says. “Or at least, I would have been attracted to you. If things had gone differently, perhaps. . .”

The implication hangs in the air. _Perhaps I would have loved you, instead of Aislin._ Narcissus looks back down at the courtyard, at Aislin and her blue haired brood, and tries to imagine, somehow, those children being his. It’s a fleeting thought, one that doesn’t linger for long. Maybe before he could have pictured it, but now Lucina, Morgan, and Luci are firmly Aislin’s children. Chrom is right; they do take after their mother, and he can see some of his sister come through in their mannerisms. Lucina especially, with her seriousness when she first appeared, was almost a mirror of Aislin.

. . .He wonders if little Luci will take after her mother as strongly as her older counterpart did, since Luci will grow up in peace.

“We shouldn’t get caught up in what could have been.” Narcissus says, surprising himself a little. He certainly surprises Chrom, who blinks at him.

“I came to terms with my feelings years ago, back when you first married Aislin. The kiss was just. . . closure for me, I guess. I’m sorry if I surprised you.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” Chrom starts. “If anything, I should—” 

“How about we agree that neither of us needs to apologize?”

Chrom nods, albeit reluctantly.

“You’re my best friend, Chrom, and my family. I’ll always love you, but I love Ash too, and my nieces and nephew. I wouldn’t want to change that for the world.”

“You’re my best friend too, Narcissus.”

Chrom holds out his hand, and Narcissus takes it thinking he wants to shake. Instead Chrom pulls him into a hug.

For a moment, Narcissus lets himself melt in Chrom’s arms, thanking every god he knows that he is alive and able to experience this. Then he pulls back, and nods to the courtyard below.

“Do you think we should join them? Morgan might be getting tired of playing tag at this rate, and I think Luci could use some new people to chase. Besides, someone has to help Aislin waddle back to your room.”

Chrom laughs. “Don’t say that in front of her. Lately, she gets very cross when people mention how engagingly she is.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, but you know she really does waddle.”

“Oh, I know.”

As they head down to the courtyard together, Narcissus once again sends a thanks to Naga and the other gods for making his sacrifice worthwhile, and reuniting him with his family in the end.

He will spend the rest of his years watching his nieces and nephew grow, and training the next generation of Shepherds, and Narcissus intends to enjoy every minute of it.


End file.
